Knitting Socks

I have been knitting a little over a year now. I finally took a knitting class a couple of weeks ago to make a pair of socks. The class had some rocky moments, but I finished up my socks last night! Thank goodness for online videos. I used knit witch's kitchener stitch video to finish the socks, nice and slow to show each detail. In that two weeks of knitting socks I have tried various methods, short double pointed needles, longer dpn, and two circular needles. On another sock I tried a single 9" circular needle. The circulars are easier to carry around cause I tend to pull or push stitches off of the dpn when pulling the sock out of its storage bag. I have been bitten by the sock bug.

SBS 100th Block - M-7 New Mexico

I was so close to that wonderful milestone - 100 blocks done, that I just had to make one more. I have been working on the 3rd column or the Mth row, and went with M-7 New Mexico. It is one of those blocks that is pretty picky, 78 pieces in 6", and the 25 patch in 6" doesn't help. This would be a great, easy, block in 15", but noooo. Anyway. I used EQ6 to draft some paper piecing patterns for strip piecing those center squares, and also the templates. I nipped off the corners of the triangles using Marti Michell's triangle trimmer (really just a triangle that I had used to make Clay's Choice) so the squares lined up nicely. One other thing, I pressed the HSTs open and the long seams open. Other seams are pressed to a side so the seams nest nicely when piecing them together. This one took a while. Not sure how long because I was watching Dancing with the Stars results show (the Woz and Holly went home), and knitting in between stints at the cutting and sewing.

SBS March Challenge

The March Challange was to make 5 blocks from either the third column, or the M row. Well, including the BOWs, I have now made five blocks. G-3 Bear's Paw and N-3 Clay's Choice were made yesterday and today.

Quilts for the quilt show

This weekend, OK, that would be today, officially, I need to turn in the quilts for the quilt show. With some trepidation I will be showing "Dear Jane My Way" and "Basic and Beyond - Nine Patch to Mariner's Compass". I just added a bit more quilting to DJMW. I might add more when I get it back. I tried to blot out more of the bleeding, maybe it will be a little lighter when it is dry. I am not saying where it is, and don't believe it is that obvious in the picture. B&B was started a long time ago, but finished rather recently. DJMW was started this millenium, at least, but it did take a while to finish. I just need to add the official labels and they can be turned in for the show. Thank goodness!

SBS BOW M-5 Ohio Star

Another BOW done just in time! Thank goodness for a nice simple one this week.

Binding Dear Jane

OK, the red tinge is still there. I thought I would bind first and then wash again, because I will need to wash anyway after binding. I did find color catchers. I just might dry in the dryer on low to try and dry faster with no bleeding. I looked at the pictures I took right after I laid it on the towels, and no bleeding at that point. So, we will see.
Meanwhile I have been watching Sharon Schamber's curved binding youtube videos. I am only up to part 3 of 5. I keep re-watching segments to make sure I get it right, and am now stitching on the binding. Very slowly... Hopefully I will be done before I go to my sock class this afternoon. I probably should have cut the binding strips a bit bigger, but too late now. These will work and I will have a nice, narrow binding when done.

Saturday Mystery Quilt

Saturday was a Space Blanketeers mystery quilt day. We have been working our way through the North American Mystery Quilts, and Saturday was California. So I spent Saturday morning cutting up fabric into squares to be ready for the afternoon. After cutting I decided to try and get the sample made for my half square triangle table runner class, to be held in May. Thought it would be nice to bring a sample to drum up some interest. Did not get very far, ah well. But the mystery was fun, will post a picture when it is a top. Probably no borders on this one and it will be a good size baby quilt or small lap quilt, for someone who likes orange. I am sure the mystery people were thinking California Poppies.

So I took along my baby jane, now dry to show off, and horrors of horrors, when I spread it out, one of the reds had bled. So I am not not a happy camper. I tried to find Color Catchers before I bathed it, and couldn't, so decided to brave it, bad decision. Now I need to gently get the extra red out. Definately need to look further afield for Color Catchers! Tomorrow after work.

Today was bascially a cleaning day, plus one more SBS block, Dresden Plate.